Posts Tagged ‘song choice’
Song Spotlight: “A Place In The Sun”
Theme: Sunshine, Hope Mood: Hopeful, Optimistic Style: Soul Have you talked about the weather yet today? Weather is a reliable conversation starter in just about every group of people, including groups that include older adults and caregivers. Of course, we can rejoice or commiserate over the actual outside conditions or reminisce about the worst snowstorm/tornado/flood…
Read MoreTop 10 Songs About The Weather
I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods, but here in the Midwest, the weather is a popular topic of discussion. It doesn’t matter whether it’s rainy, snowy, or a perfectly sunny day – the weather is a pretty reliable conversation starter. Here’s a collection of 10 songs about the weather,…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Come Fly With Me”
Theme: Flying, Travel, Romance Mood: Upbeat Genre: 1950s easy listening Ask anyone of a certain age about their favorite musicians, and there’s a decent chance they’ll name Frank Sinatra. Born in December 1915, the son of Italian immigrants, Frank Sinatra made his mark as a singer, actor, arranger, producer, and director. He was one of…
Read More6 Reasons To Use YouTube To Share Music With Older Adults
When you start sharing music with your older adults on a regular basis, you’ll need a way to access the songs and musicians that are important to them. There are many ways to track down clients’ favorite music, both low-tech (e.g. playing their own CDs or checking out CDs from the public library) and high-tech…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Please Don’t Eat The Daisies”
Mood: Light and playful Themes: Flowers, What not to eat Tempo: Moderate waltz Genre/Style: 1960s easy listening Here’s a quirky popular song from Doris Day to add to your repertoire. “Please Don’t Eat The Daisies” is the title of a book, film, song, and TV series, created in that order, all about the funny moments…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Release Me”
Mood: Wistful Theme: The End of a Romantic Relationship Tempo: Moderately slow Genre/Style: Country or Smooth Ballad Here is a song that proves the best songs rise above genre conventions. “Release Me” was penned by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount and James Pebworth in 1946. Since Miller could not find anyone to record the song at…
Read More10 Strategies for Using Music for Reminiscence
Reflecting on one’s past is a vital task of living for older adults and people approaching the end of life. When it comes to supporting reminiscence with your care recipient, music can be an especially helpful tool. (P.S. For more strategies for facilitating reminiscence, check out this post.) Songs provide discussion material that is endlessly…
Read MoreSong Spotlight: “Yakety Sax”
Mood: Humorous, Farcical Theme: Instrumental (no lyrics) Tempo: Upbeat Genre/Style: Pop-Jazz Instrumental Here’s a purely instrumental song that goes a long a way in creating a certain energy in a group: “Yakety Sax.” Written by James Q. “Spider” Rich and Homer “Boots” Randolph III, this song was popularized by Boots Randolph in his 1963 recording. Randolph plays the saxophone, and…
Read More5 Songs for Springtime
Two Songs for the Holidays: One May Hurt, One May Help
The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those of us who can’t be HOME for Christmas. Sure, home means different things to different people, whether you’re a soldier deployed in Afghanistan, a young worker who can’t afford a plane ticket to mom and dad’s house, or an older woman in assisted living whose…
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